New changes introduced to the sale and placement of foods high in fat, sugar and salt in shops come into effect
Following the passing of regulations by Parliament last year, new restrictions will be introduced from 1 October 2026 in Scotland to support people to make healthier food choices.
Businesses with more than 50 employees will no longer be allowed to display prepackaged junk food such as sugary soft drinks, confectionary, biscuits and breakfast cereals in prominent locations, such as entrances, checkouts and at aisle ends.
Certain price promotions including free refills of sugary soft drinks will also be restricted.
The regulations, which will apply both in-store and online, are intended to create a healthier balance of products on offer, support healthier eating habits and help lower levels of obesity.
Similar restrictions are already in place across England and Wales.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “We want to make it easier for people to live healthier lives. “In Scotland, two out of three adults are overweight or obese, with those living in our poorest areas more likely to be overweight and experience the most harm as a result.
“We know that promotions and the prominent product placement can encourage over-consumption and impulse buying of foods with high levels of calories, fat, sugar and salt.
“By restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink we can make it easier for people to make healthier choices, improving health and wellbeing and create a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight.
”We have engaged extensively with business and industry extensively in developing this approach.
“These restrictions strike a balance between improving the health of people in Scotland whilst reducing any potential effects on smaller businesses and shops.”
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Deputy Head of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Scotland’s retailers are committed to helping consumers make healthier choices. For example, fresh fruit and veg are heavily price promoted and grocers have led the way on reformulating products to reduce salt, sugar, and fat. We’ve pioneered traffic light labelling and signage to help consumers make informed choices.
“We believe these new regulations are proportionate and will enhance the positive work being done by retailers in supporting consumers to make healthier food and drink choices. The choice to implement a consistent model with other UK nations should simplify and reduce the cost of implementation: albeit retailers will still invest around £20 million to deliver the policy.
“We hope this approach, where industry is meaningfully consulted and government acts in a constructive manner, can serve as a model going forward as we work in partnership to make Scotland a healthier and wealthier nation.”
Kids Operating Room reaches major global surgery milestone and sets ambitious 2035 goal
A SCOTTISH charity has hit a major milestone, helping create capacity for one million life-changing operations around the world.
Kids Operating Room, founded by Garreth and Nicola Wood MBE, has created over 135 dedicated children’s operating rooms in 39 countries, from Ukraine and Bangladesh to Peru and the West Bank and supported the training of more than 70 surgeons.
The couple marked the achievement at Murrayfield Stadium, returning to an early ambition to one day help enough children to fill its 67,000 seats.
Garreth Wood MBE, co-founder, said: “Standing here today is quite surreal. In the early days, Nicola and I talked about whether we could ever help enough children to fill Murrayfield. Looking around at 67,000 seats, even that felt like an enormous ambition.
“Today, 728 operations take place every day in operating rooms created by Kids Operating Room. That’s enough to fill Murrayfield again every three months.
“It’s incredible to think about, but every one of those operations is about much more than a number. It’s a child getting the surgery they need and the chance to get back to being a child. That’s what this milestone means to us.”
The landmark achievement, and ambitious new goal, follows a review of the charity’s strategy and a new brand built around the idea “Make anything possible”, reflecting what safe surgery means for children: the chance to grow up and live their life to the full.
Nicola Wood MBE, co-founder, said: “We started with one surgeon, one operating room and one country. To now be talking about a million operations is something we could never have imagined.
“The real heroes of this story are the surgical teams we support, working in some of the toughest conditions on earth and doing incredible things every single day. This milestone is theirs as much as ours.”
David Cunningham, Chief Executive of Kids Operating Room, said: “Reaching one million children proves the model works. But there are still millions more waiting for surgery that could change their lives.
“That’s why we’ve sharpened our focus, backing local surgical teams, investing in innovation like solar-powered operating rooms and making children’s surgery a core part of every country’s health system.
“One million operations a year by 2035 is a big ambition, but that’s what it takes and we can only get there with governments, funders and partners behind us.”
The charity’s story began in 2015, when the Woods learned about Dr John Sekabira, Uganda’s only paediatric surgeon, working in Kampala to care for a population of 20 million children without a dedicated children’s operating room. After that first room opened, requests for more poured in, and the couple formally launched Kids Operating Room in 2018.
By 2021, the charity had created 50 operating rooms. Today, it has 136.
The charity transforms unused or derelict spaces, usually in public hospitals, and fits each room with 3,300 pieces of specialist equipment, shipped from its global operations centre in Dundee. Solar technology keeps the lights on during power cuts and bright, colourful artwork helps children feel safe before surgery.
Unlike “fly-in” medical missions, Kids Operating Room never sends in medical professionals from richer countries. Instead, it backs local surgical teams, funds specialist training in partnership with ministries of health, and works with local engineers to keep every room running, with the aim of handing each one over to the local health system as soon as possible.
The charity’s own data, drawn from their paediatric surgical database, shows the difference a dedicated operating room makes.
At one partner hospital in Nigeria, the rate of sepsis after surgery fell from 19.1% to 3.8%, and children’s average hospital stay dropped from 12 days to three. Surveys of school-age patients found that more than half of those missing school were doing so because of their surgical condition.
The charity estimates the operations made possible by its rooms will generate more than £23billion in economic benefit, as children who might otherwise have died or lived with lifelong disability grow up to work, earn and contribute to their communities.
Garreth Wood MBE, said: “Every one of those million is a child who can now run, play, go to school and grow up. Behind every number is a family who didn’t know if their child would make it, and a childhood that hasn’t been stolen by a treatable condition.”
An estimated 1.75 billion children still live in areas without reliable access to safe surgery . You can learn more about Kids Operating Room and help them reach these children here.
Garreth and Nicola Wood were both awarded MBEs in 2025 for services to international health and children’s surgery.
New report highlights health impact of deprivation
SCOTS living in the country’s most deprived areas are 28 per cent more likely to develop cancer than their counterparts in the least deprived postcodes, according to new analysis published today by Cancer Research UK.
Today’s figures reveal there are around 4,100 cancer cases associated with deprivation in Scotland each year – that’s around 1 in 8 of all cases.
Socioeconomic deprivation exists across Scotland, with substantial variation even within towns and cities. If all areas of Scotland experienced the same cancer rates as the most affluent areas, researchers estimated that around 80 cancer cases per week could be avoided. The charity is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently close the cancer inequality gap.*
The complex mix of factors driving the deprivation gap includes:
Greater exposure to cancer risk factors, including smoking and obesity, meaning people in more deprived areas are more likely to develop cancer
Lower uptake of HPV vaccination and lower participation in bowel and cervical screening programmes, reducing the opportunity to prevent cancer
Clear evidence that people from deprived areas face barriers to accessing timely care, which contributes to inequalities across the cancer pathway.
The charity is urging the Scottish Government to do more to close the cancer deprivation gap through bold action on prevention, including policies to tackle smoking and obesity.
To deliver long-term improvements in cancer diagnosis and care in every postcode, targeted campaigns would help break down barriers to seeking help, and providing support for people to participate in cancer screening programmes would be crucial in reducing the inequalities revealed in today’s analysis.
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:“These figures are not only unacceptable but avoidable. Everyone in Scotland deserves to live in an environment that gives them the best chance of a long and healthy life, free from cancer, yet stark health inequalities persist.
“To help end the cancer postcode lottery, the Scottish Government must step up prevention efforts and ensure everyone can access high-quality cancer care wherever they live.”
Beyond the physical and mental toll of a cancer diagnosis, people also face financial pressures, including loss of income and increased travel costs for treatment. With higher cancer rates occurring in the most deprived areas, these costs are more likely to impact people already struggling financially.
Today’s report also revealed that the largest inequalities are in rates of smoking-related cancers, with lung cancer contributing around 2,500 cases linked to deprivation in the Scotland each year.
Despite progress in tackling the harms of tobacco, the latest Health Survey for Scotland shows smoking prevalence is much higher among adults living in the most deprived areas in Scotland (23 per cent) than among those living in the least deprived areas (seven per cent).
The charity is calling for the Tobacco and Vapes Act to be implemented swiftly in Scotland alongside increased funding to ensure everyone can access local, free stop smoking support as well as accelerating progress to implement a national targeted lung cancer screening programme.
Picture by Lesley Martin Dr Sorcha Hume, Cancer Research UK public affairs manager in Scotland.
Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager for Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said:“It is unacceptable that cancer rates remain significantly higher in Scotland’s most deprived areas.
“While the causes are complex, early diagnosis is key to closing the survival gap. We must improve symptom awareness, remove barriers to seeking help, and support informed screening uptake in these communities. Long-term, funded national awareness campaigns targeted at those most affected are also essential.
“One of the report’s most stark findings is that lung cancer contributes more than 6 in 10 deprivation-associated cancer cases in Scotland. Smoking remains the leading cause, and lung cancer is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.
“To address this, we must see the timely implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, properly funded stop smoking services, and the introduction of a national lung cancer screening programme in Scotland.”
The Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative is bringing its prostate cancer testing programme to Royal Bank of Scotland’s Gogarburn campus in Edinburgh this weekend.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting in men in Scotland*. To help promote early detection, members of the public and employees of the bank are being offered the opportunity to take a free Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests which can help identify potential signs of the disease.
Royal Bank of Scotland offered colleagues the opportunity for testing yesterday (Friday, September 25) and then open its doors to the public on Saturday, September 26 for a day of testing at its Scottish HQ.
Launched in March by Sir Chris Hoy, Kenny Logan, Professor Sir Chris Evans and Sir Tom Hunter, the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative was established to improve the early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The programme, providing free PSA tests to men aged between 40 and 80, also explores how existing pathways for detecting and treating prostate cancer can be improved.
Since testing began in March, the Initiative has provided free PSA tests to more than 17,000 men across Scotland. Demand for appointments has consistently exceeded expectations, with most testing events becoming fully booked within days of being announced, demonstrating the strong public appetite for accessible prostate cancer testing and greater awareness of men’s health.
Participants provide a simple blood sample to measure PSA levels and, in selected cases, additional samples to support advanced diagnostic research aimed at improving understanding of genetic risk factors and other biomarkers associated with prostate cancer.
Professor Sir Chris Evans, founder and Chief Scientific Officer of EDX Medical, the diagnostics company which is delivering the Initiative, said: “The response to the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative has been extraordinary. Prostate cancer can develop silently, often without symptoms in its early stages which is why early diagnosis is so important.
“I would like to thank Royal Bank of Scotland for hosting these testing sessions at Gogarburn and for their support of the Initiative. By helping us bring free PSA testing to both employees and the wider community, they are playing an important role in raising awareness and helping more men take control of their health.”
Judith Cruickshank, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Directly or indirectly, prostate cancer is an issue that impacts the lives of so many of our colleagues and customers across the country.
“We are delighted to be working with the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative to offer free PSA testing here at Gogarburn. Royal Bank plays an important role in the lives of the customers and the communities which we serve and this is an opportunity to make it easier for the public to get themselves tested and guard themselves one of the most common form of cancers here in Scotland.
“We are proud to support an Initiative that can make a positive difference to men’s health across Scotland.”
The Initiative is delivered by EDX Medical in conjunction with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust.
Testing takes place at Gogarburn TODAY Saturday 26 September from 0930 – 1700.
Details of other upcoming testing events can be found at:
A transformational mental health hub will open in Edinburgh next year, bringing free, accessible mental health support to anyone in the capital and its surrounding areas.
The Nook, a groundbreaking initiative from SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), will launch on Lothian Road in early spring 2027.
The Nook in Edinburgh will be a flagship service for SAMH, which operates more than 70 services across the country, and is the charity’s response to the national mental health crisis, which sees tens of thousands of people wait too long for the help they need.
Designed to be a welcoming, friendly and accessible space, The Nook operates on a walk-in basis, removing the need to book appointments or receive a referral from a GP.
It will offer non-clinical, stigma-free mental health support for adults, young people and their families, so that anyone can ask once and get help fast with their mental health.
Scotland’s national mental health charity has a unique relationship with the capital, which was home to SAMH’s first ever service, a horticultural project that opened in 1983.
This legacy is continued by longstanding SAMH services including Redhall Walled Garden, based on Lanark Road, and the Hive Activity Centre at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
The choice of location for The Nook, at 142 Lothian Road, will make mental health and wellbeing support available in the heart of the city, and easily accessible to people across Edinburgh and beyond.
David Arbuthnott, 60 from South Queensferry, who attended SAMH’s The Changing Room at Tynecastle Park after experiencing the loss of his sister, said:“Deciding you need help and asking for it can be the most difficult things for people suffering from mental health challenges.
“Barriers can make people feel like they aren’t worthy of help and that they don’t deserve it, pushing them further away. Accessing help easily in Edinburgh, without having to jump through hoops and overcome barriers, will help so many people.”
Shona Littlejohn, Chair of SAMH, said:“The Nook will bring innovative, accessible mental health support to anyone in and around Edinburgh.
“As I know from experience, mental health challenges can happen to us all and have a devastating impact on individuals, families, communities and workplaces.
“Scotland’s mental health system is in crisis, with too many people failed by long waiting lists and the need for referrals. Change has been too slow, and lives are being lost and blighted. The Nook brings hope, compassion and practical support designed and delivered by Scotland’s leading mental health charity.”
The Nook is the largest mental health charity initiative in Scotland’s history and is funded by SAMH’s first major appeal, which seeks to raise £10 million to revolutionise mental health support across the country.
The Scottish Government has also committed to supporting some of The Nook’s operating costs and SAMH is working closely with government officials to clarify the level of support.
June Pennykid, Managing Director at insurance broker Keegan & Pennykid, and a longstanding supporter of SAMH, said: “The Nook is by far the most ambitious undertaking by SAMH in its 103-year history. It is also arguably the most essential one.
“Poor mental health is increasing at a higher rate than any other health condition, including among children and young people. That in itself is reason enough for delivering The Nook throughout Scotland, to ensure that everyone can access the mental health support they need, when they need it.
“As The Nook comes to Edinburgh, I’d urge my fellow business owners to get on board and support the appeal. After all, you never know when you or someone you love might need it.”
This will be the third Nook in Scotland’s first national network of walk-in mental health hubs, with the first Nook opening in Glasgow last year and the second in Aberdeen in June.
Last week, it was announced that 10,000 people have already visited the two existing Nooks, demonstrating clear demand and trust in the walk-in model.
Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said:“The Nook is the largest charitable mental health initiative in Scotland’s history and we’re thrilled to be able to bring it to Edinburgh.
“With more than 10,000 people having already visited Nooks in Glasgow and Aberdeen, we already know that The Nook is needed, and that it’s giving people the help they need, fast.
“We hope The Nook will quickly become the go-to place for immediate mental health support in Edinburgh, while working closely with local partners in the mental health system and beyond.”
Alcohol and Drugs Minister Maree Todd has raised concerns about an ‘increasingly toxic and unpredictable drugs supply’ in Scotland and has said the government will continue to prioritise a public health response to drug deaths.
It comes as new figures from National Records of Scotland show there were 1,133 drug use deaths in 2025, an increase of 11% compared with the previous year.
Cocaine was implicated in over half of all drug use deaths in 2025 (52%, or 589 deaths), an increase of 23% compared with 2024. Nitazenes, a group of highly potent synthetic opioids , were implicated in more than one in five drug use deaths (22%, 247 deaths).
Speaking during a visit to In Cahootz, an initiative in Glasgow which supports people affected by substance use through creative activities and building community connections, Ms Todd said: “My heartfelt condolences go out to everyone who has lost a loved one to drug use. Each and every death is a tragedy, and even more so because every life lost to drug harms is preventable.
“Against an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drugs supply, this rise is deeply concerning and unacceptable. The increase in deaths involving cocaine, and the continued threat from dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, must drive more coordinated action across the country.
“We have taken important steps forward, including funding more than 1,100 residential rehabilitation placements last year and widening access to treatment and life-saving naloxone. However, despite these policy interventions, and the actions of our valued frontline workers, it is clear we need to do much more to reduce this tragic loss of life.
“Our new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan will strengthen surveillance, deepen links between treatment, housing and other services, and target support at the communities most at risk. I have also announced today that Scotland’s first local drug-checking service will open in Glasgow this October – building on the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility.
“Whilst we are using every lever available through our devolved powers, it is clearly now vital that the UK Government work with us to transfer the greater powers over drugs policy that we require to treat drug harms fully as a public health issue.”
In Cahootz Creative Director Kate Black said: “The National Mission funding has allowed us to expand the range of activities available through our Creative Citizens Project.
“Taking part in creative activities can increase confidence and give people a sense of purpose and belonging. Building connections and becoming an active part of a community can play an important role in recovery.
“Our project helps people develop those connections and supports them to build a better quality of life.”
THE POVERTY ALLIANCE commented: “In a just Scotland, no-one would lose their life to drug addiction and everyone would have quick and efficient access to addiction treatment that works for them.
‘People living in the most deprived communities in Scotland are around 15 times more likely to experience problem drug use, compared to people in the least deprived communities. Reducing drug deaths means reducing poverty.
‘That means redesigning our economy so that people are able to access decent work, and investing in our social security system and public services, so that people have the income they need to live in dignity and security.
‘Above all, we need to treat people with the dignity, respect, and compassion they deserve.’
As part of recovery month, COSLA’s Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Cllr Paul Kelly, reflects on the key role local authorities play in preventing harms from drugs and alcohol and supporting people to recover:
Across Scotland, unacceptably high levels of drug and alcohol related harms continue to have profound impacts on our communities. Behind each life lost is a person, their family, friends and colleagues. As a small but diverse country, many of us will know personally how the effects of drug use pervade our lives and affect whole communities.
Earlier this year, COSLA Leaders agreed the new Strategic Plan for alcohol and drugs, Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery – the first time Local and Scottish Government have agreed shared ownership over this critical challenge we face as a nation. The Strategic Plan builds on progress made during the National Mission but recognises that we need sustained leadership to tackle ongoing and emerging harms from alcohol and drugs.
While a shared policy direction at a national level is important, ultimately it is the local delivery of support that will make a difference to people’s lives. These solutions will lie in our communities, shaped by people, and delivered through trusted local services.
At the launch of the strategy at a rehabilitation facility in Inverclyde, I met with people in recovery and who told me how important it is to have pathways of care that bridge different services, bringing together specialist care with appropriate housing and ongoing wellbeing support.
Councils are well placed provide wrap-around support for people affected by drugs and alcohol and their families which fosters sustained recovery. Housing, social work and social care and community justice support some of the most vulnerable in our communities. This holistic support, meeting the needs of the whole person, act as the foundations for more specialist care. Meanwhile, our partnership working third sector organisations enable greater reach into communities, including outreach with people who face additional barriers to accessing services.
If we are serious about reducing harm from alcohol and drugs, we need strong local knowledge to understand why communities in Scotland continue to be deeply affected by drugs and alcohol. The stark reality is that the harms are not evenly distributed; rather, they are closely aligned to the prevalence of deprivation. Experiences of poverty and trauma can act as an underlying driver of harms, while drug and alcohol issues can perpetuate deprivation.
COSLA has long championed this preventative approach which tackles these root causes because our councillors witness firsthand how interconnected these inequalities are with wider outcomes. As much as 80% of what determines our mental and physical health comes from outside of health and care services. Our health and wellbeing starts long before a person speaks to their GP. It starts with a warm, safe home, with whole-family support in the critical early years and access to opportunities through high-quality education and secure local jobs.
As set out in the Population Health Framework, these are the wider determinants of health, the underlying social, economic and environmental factors that have a greater impact on our health outcomes that access to health and social care services. The preventative and universal services that councils deliver every day are the embodiment of these determinants: our schools, transport networks, leisure and culture facilities.
Indeed, no other part of the public sector has such depth or breadth in people’s daily lives. Our joint approach to reducing harms from alcohol and drugs rightly places prevention at its heart, maximising these local opportunities to shape healthy, resilient communities.
As the form of government which is closest to people, councils have the local knowledge to understand where services are working well, where gaps exist and how to make the best use of a community’s strengths. Differing demography and geography mean that our communities can vary. Post-industrial communities in the central belt have different challenges and opportunities to remote, rural and island communities. Flexibility in the delivery of services is vital to meet the needs in a range of local contexts.
Key to developing place-based solutions are the insights from people with lived and living experience of drug and alcohol issues, so services are developed with people, not for them. Last year, COSLA Leaders endorsed the Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use which empowers people to know the human rights that belong to them.
Since publication, a range of emerging local practice has focused on meaningful engagement and participation, promoting more inclusive and accessible services, and enabling people to shape services through what matters most to them.
As we move forwards with this preventative, rights-based approach, I recognise the significant pressures that the system is under. Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, which coordinate a range of services to meet local need are often led by very small teams of committed individuals working to tight budgets. The wider workforce is delivering preventative, wrap-around and specialist support in challenging circumstances due to high and complex levels of need in communities.
Many of us continue to feel the effects of drugs and alcohol issues in our communities – in the unacceptably high numbers of lives lost and the families affected, and through the wider impacts of organised crime, including trafficking. New substances, increased toxicity and changing patterns of drug use add further challenges which require expertise and bespoke solutions.
Strong leadership in all parts of the system is essential to recognise the role that we all have to play to promote good health wellbeing and reduce harms. This will involve culture change, tackling stigma and promoting human rights in everything we do. We have already clarified the governance arrangement for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships through the Partnership Delivery Framework. This affirms the importance of a range of statutory services, not just local authorities, but also health boards, police and the prison service. Further work is required to ensure all partners understand their roles and responsibilities.
At a national level, our joint approach with Scottish Government will enable local and national leaders to work together to prioritise action that will make the greatest impact and hold each other to account.
Working with the Minister for Public Health, Mental Wellbeing, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs, I look forward to inviting a diverse range of individuals and organisations, including third sector colleagues, clinicians and people with lived and living experience, to provide advice, insight and challenge to support the delivery of the Strategic Plan.
By combining a shared national ambition with strong local leadership, we can consider drugs and alcohol not in a siloed fashion but across the broad range of services that councils and their partners provide.
We can deepen partnership working, build a culture of learning, listening to those most affected. Through a collective commitment to prevention and wrap-around support, to reducing inequalities and to improving outcomes, we can create resilient communities and support people to live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.
National roll-out of Nurse Sexual Offence Examiners
Specialist nurses trained to examine survivors of sexual assault will be available across Scotland as part of a national roll-out.
Nurse Sexual Offence Examiners (NSOEs) support and examine survivors of sexual violence, providing trauma-informed care and gathering forensic evidence.
Following a test of change backed by over £700,000 of Scottish Government funding, the Lord Advocate approved the national roll-out of the role in March 2026
The change means specialist nurses will now be able to undertake forensic medical examinations and give opinion evidence in court, subject to continuing review of progress.
The expansion will particularly benefit islands and rural areas, which have previously relied on private forensic doctor services to deliver this care.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “It is crucial for any survivor of rape or another sexual offence to be able to access the support they need, in the way they need it.
“The hours after a sexual assault are some of the most difficult a survivor will face. Expanding this specialist nursing role means more survivors will be cared for by compassionate, highly trained professionals. It also means these specialist nurses will be able to give opinion evidence in court.
“This is a significant milestone for Sexual Assault Response Coordination Services throughout Scotland, and I want to thank everyone involved for their dedication and work to make this possible.”
Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS) Network Patient Advocate Kirsty Arnaud said: “Disclosing sexual assault is one of the hardest things a person can do. It takes a considerable amount of courage and strength to attend a SARCS.
“Every survivor who has taken that step deserves timely, compassionate and trauma-informed care. This includes being able to exercise their right to request the preferred sex of the examiner.
“The quality of care a survivor receives post-assault can determine their future mental and physical wellbeing. More survivors should have access to the passionate and dedicated nurses I have been so fortunate to have met during my time as the lived-experience representative for the SARCS Network.
“The role of Nurse SOEs will further enhance this access across SARCS in Scotland. This development reflects the ways the SARCS Network is strengthening its commitment to delivering high-quality support to survivors across Scotland.”
This change will also mean people will be able to exercise their right to be examined by someone of their chosen sex.
“Pupils voluntarily handed weapons in” – Council funds performances for local high schools
Leith-based charity Strange Town is taking its powerful knife-crime play BALISONG back into Edinburgh schools this autumn, as part of the Knife Angel project, with performances planned for pupils across 13 high schools.
The production, written by award-winning Scottish playwright Jennifer Adam and directed by Strange Town Artistic Director Steve Small, explores the consequences of carrying a knife through the story of a 15-year-old boy who brings a butterfly knife home after a school trip.
The tour comes at a time of growing concern about knife crime and youth violence in Edinburgh. Police Scotland figures show that crimes committed in a public place involving a knife rose by 29% between 2022/23 and 2024/25, from 178 offences to 250.
Strange Town has seen first-hand the impact theatre can have in opening up difficult conversations with young people. When BALISONG previously toured schools, pupils voluntarily handed in weapons after seeing the production.
The play was originally commissioned by No Knives Better Lives and, between 2017 and 2019, toured schools in every local authority in Scotland. It has since been brought back to Edinburgh as part of Strange Town’s wider programme of high-quality theatre for young audiences.
The charity’s Touring Company has now delivered 62 free performances to more than 7,000 pupils across 25 Edinburgh schools, tackling issues including knife crime, consent, online bullying and climate anxiety.
Each performance is followed by teacher-led discussion, giving pupils the opportunity to reflect and talk openly about the issues raised.
Steve Small, Artistic Director and Joint Executive Director of Strange Town, said:“We know BALISONG works because we have seen what happens when young people encounter it. On our previous tour, pupils voluntarily handed in weapons. Teachers told us that the play opened up conversations they simply could not have started in the same way themselves.
“That is why we are so pleased to be taking BALISONG back into Edinburgh schools as part of the Knife Angel project. Theatre doesn’t lecture young people or tell them what to think. It allows them to see themselves, their friends and the consequences of choices in a different way, and then gives them the space to talk.
“We will be working with 13 high schools during this tour. At a time when concerns about knife crime and youth violence are so high, it is vital that we give young people opportunities to have these conversations before a crisis happens.
“We are incredibly grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for supporting this project and helping us bring this work to young people. We also want people to understand that organisations like Strange Town cannot deliver this work without ongoing support.
“If you believe young people deserve access to ambitious, high-quality theatre that can genuinely make a difference, please come and see BALISONG at the Traverse and consider supporting the future of Strange Town.”
That impact has also been recognised by teachers working directly with pupils. Head of Drama at Drummond Community High School said: “As a drama teacher, I see firsthand the transformative power of live professional theatre in shaping young minds.
“It allows for meaningful discussion and reflection on themes that are current to the society they live in.”
Martin Hutchison – The City of Edinburgh Council said:“Tackling knife crime and youth violence requires a partnership approach, with prevention and early intervention at its heart. We are pleased to support the return of BALISONG to Edinburgh schools as part of the wider Knife Angel project.
“Creative approaches can provide young people with a safe and engaging way to explore difficult issues, challenge perceptions and have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to start.
“Reaching pupils across 13 high schools gives this project an important opportunity to engage young people directly and encourage positive choices.
“We are grateful to Strange Town for the important work they continue to do with young people across Edinburgh and look forward to seeing the impact of this project.”
The Edinburgh tour forms part of the wider Knife Angel project, which aims to bring communities together to raise awareness of the devastating impact of knife crime and encourage prevention and positive action.
Strange Town believes that high-quality theatre has a unique role to play in this work. By putting young people at the centre of a compelling story, BALISONG creates space for empathy, debate and reflection rather than simply presenting statistics or warnings.
The charity is also inviting members of the public to support the project by attending a special performance of BALISONG at the Traverse Theatre at 7pm on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September.
The public can also help Strange Town continue its work with young people by making a donation to support future productions, school tours and accessible creative opportunities.
Strange Town is a Leith-based charity that has spent more than 18 years creating accessible, high-quality theatre and creative opportunities for young people.
Its Touring Company works with professional emerging artists to create original productions specifically for young audiences, bringing theatre directly into schools and creating opportunities for pupils to engage with challenging issues in a safe and accessible environment.
The Balisong Theatre production is funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Forth Ports, and is part of a wider programme of events whilst the Knife Angel Sculpture is in Edinburgh – supported by Places for People Scotland and Police Scotland.
Find them in The Rose Garden at Saughton Park from 12 noon till 3pm on Friday 25 September and help raise funds to support people in the UK living with cancer.
Join our friendly Walk & Wander group every Wednesday at 11am and enjoy the many benefits of getting outdoors in good company.
As the seasons change, it’s a wonderful opportunity to take in the beauty of the local scenery, spot the colours of autumn emerging, enjoy a chat, and finish with a hot drink together.
Whether you’re looking to get more active, meet new people, or simply enjoy some fresh air, we’d love to welcome you.
Wednesdays
11:00am
Walk & Wander
Come along and experience the magic of autumn with us!
Wednesdays
11:00am
Walk & Wander